Will Vaulks taunts Sheffield United fans; Chris Wilder blasts abuse coming from sections of the away end after defeat to Oxford.
Oxford secured a huge victory, winning 1-0 to slightly ease Championship relegation fears for now at least. Will Vaulks, a former Sheffield Wednesday midfielder now playing for the U’s, produced a long throw that led to Siriki Dembele’s decisive goal in the 38th minute.
Vaulks celebrated in front of the Sheffield United fans, adding fuel to the rivalry given his past with Wednesday, Sheffield United’s rivals.
HANG IT IN THE LOUVRE!
Will Vaulks rattling 2000+ #SUFC fans! Unreal 😭 #OUFC are massive.. pic.twitter.com/yxDHLggTur
— TGB (@TGBUTFOX) April 6, 2025
Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder told BBC Radio Sheffield:
“We didn’t do enough so there’s no arguments about the result.
“They started better than us – a team fighting for their lives, they stuck it on us with long throws. We had two or three opportunities before they scored which we should probably take.
“There was an opportunity to gain three points but well done to Gary [Rowett], they deserve their win and obviously an amazing away record comes to an end.
“It’s not an attitude problem, we just made some bad decisions. It was a slow pitch, a dry day, and we have to recognise we have to play a little bit quicker and more direct.
“We’ve got to make better decisions, to do something different. We didn’t do the basics right.
“The game’s not won on a coupon, the game’s won on a pitch, and we didn’t do enough to win.”
Wilder spoke on supporters who jeered Sheffield United, per The Star: “Do you know what? I think it’s an absolute disgrace. An absolute disgrace to the players who represent the football club and what they’ve done this season.
“I was speaking to my media guy before and he was telling me to stay away from it, but I’ll meet it head on. It’s a joke and a disgrace. If that’s what you think of the players then, when we have the good days, don’t be clapping. Go home. Be consistent. If you want to come and wait for us to fail and abuse us, verbally and gesturing with abusive hand signals, give your ticket up to someone who wants to be there. Because there are loads of people who can’t get tickets who’d love the opportunity to back us.
“I understand negativity off the back of a bad performance, and it was. But there’s a line. Be consistent. We appreciate the good support and we’ll need it on Tuesday night to lift the players. We had the opportunity to break a club record that’s lasted about 350 years [of seven away wins on the bounce] and it just wasn’t good enough. That’s just how football is sometimes.
😡 “It’s an absolute disgrace… if that’s what you think of the players, when we do have the good days, don’t be clapping, go home.”
⚔️ Sheff Utd boss Chris Wilder on a critical section of Blades fans at Oxford.
🎧 Pre Millwall 👉 https://t.co/9gyYu8WwCr#SUFC | @BBCSheffield pic.twitter.com/DSmBA5xT4u
— Football Heaven (@footballheaven) April 7, 2025
“You can analyse it and we’re disappointed; we all wear our hearts on our sleeves and we’re giving everything for the football club, to get to 85 points with six games to go. if it was happening every other week or was the group I inherited last year who turned it in and were miles off it, then I’d get it.
“But not this group. Not this group. Don’t do it to them, don’t do it to me. That’s how it is. It’ll bring us tighter together and I’m sure you’ll see a reaction in the players’ performance. The week before [against Coventry] was outstanding and we were just off it.
“We have to own it and take it on the chin. It’s just the world we live in, I suppose, with social media and whatever. Everyone wants us to be winning every game,” Wilder added. “We’d all be extremely rich and possibly not sitting here if we knew the outcome of everything in life, not just on a football pitch.
“But football isn’t like that. There are no guarantees and we have to get back onto it, as I’m sure we will from the reaction of the players. They had to feel a bit of pain, going through it, and we accept that.
Oxford United boss Gary Rowett told BBC Radio Oxford:
“From the word go, we looked on it today. We had to make it a little scruffy, we had to make it into a fight but we know how good a side they are.
“One thing that did help, I thought the atmosphere was brilliant from the start and that made such a massive difference to me, the staff and the players.
“It’s nowhere near job done but it gives us a fantastic opportunity to go again on Wednesday against QPR who are fighting for their own points but we’ve got to enjoy the performance and the desire of today.
“You’ve got to dig in, do whatever it takes to get the three points, and then put your feet up and watch whatever it is you like on a Saturday night.”
Twitter users reacted as Will Vaulks taunts Sheffield United fans; and Chris Wilder blasts abuse after defeat to Oxford…
@mf_swfc: All good fun until he scores against us next week
@danielfreeman83: What an absolute thing of beauty this is. Will Vaulks will go down as the unsung hero of the Rowett part of this season if we stay up, in my opinion anyway. #oufc
@VictoriaFoyle1: Will Vaulks, what a guy 💙 miss him so much 💙🦉
@joelvoysey: Will. Bloody. Vaulks. What a man 💛💙😃
@TKB18229288: Miss him 🙁
@TheManorYellow: Brilliant 🤣👏🏻
@Ollie_OUFC04: Some boy vaulksy
@gabrielbeech5: Oh yes vaulksy 😍. #swfc
@jack231997: Will Vaulks giving it to the blades, love that #swfc
@SamsBUFC: I didn’t think it was possible to love Will Vaulks more than I already did but here we are. What a man
@lloydoufc: Oh vaulks 😍 #OUFC #swfc
@t1omswfc: Will fucking Vaulks ❤️
@johnbarrett200: Outstanding Shithousery from Vaulks! 👌🏻
@Brad_Pittick99: 🤣🤣 Love that from Vaulks get in lad 💪 #OUFC
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